Page No 97:

Question 1-(c):

Given below is a
list of possible reasons why a person uses a mirror. Tick the ones
you agree with:

(i) to check one's
appearance

(ii) to look
beautiful

(iii) to make sure
one is neat and tidy before going out

(iv) to check for a
pimple or grey hair

(v) to apply make-up

(vi) to make a phone
call

(vii)
as a decorative item at home

Answer:

(i) to check one's
appearance;

(ii) to make sure
one is neat and tidy before going out;

(iii) to apply
make-up.

Page No 97:

Question 1-(b):

Is a mirror
essential for us?

Answer:

Yes, a mirror is
very essential for us, as it helps us look presentable before we meet
people.

Page No 97:

Question 1-(a):

When do you
generally use a mirror?

Answer:

A mirror is usually
used to look into one’s own self.

Page No 98:

Question 3-(c):

When the mirror says
'it
has no preconceptions' it
means that:

i.
it reflects back an image objectively

ii.
it modifies an image as it reflects it

iii.
it beautifies an image as it reflects it

iv.
it gives a biased view of a person/object

Answer:

i. it reflects back
an image objectively

Page No 98:

Question 3-(b):

The other word for 'contemplation' is………..

i. contempt

ii. meditation

iii. mediation

iv. thoughtful

Answer:

ii. meditation

Page No 98:

Question 3-(a):

When the mirror is
being described as being 'unmisted by love or dislike' we understand
that the mirror is

i.
not misted

ii.
not prejudiced

iii.
has four angles

iv.
silver in colour

Answer:

ii. not prejudiced

Page No 98:

Question 3-(d):

The mirror has been
called 'a
four-cornered god' because:

i.
it is square shaped

ii.
like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles

iii.
it reflects back all that it sees

iv.
it never stops reflecting

Answer:

ii. like God it
watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles

Page No 98:

Question 3-(e):

The 'speckles'
refer
to:

i.
a pink object

ii.
the opposite wall which has spots on it

iii.
a person with pink pimples

iv.
pink spots in general

Answer:

ii. the opposite
wall which has spots on it

Page No 98:

Question 3-(f):

The phrase
'agitation
of the hand' suggests
that the person is:

i.
Very ill

ii.
Very upset

iii.
Very angry

iv.
Very happy

Answer:

iii. Very angry

Page No 98:

Question 3-(g):

By saying 'Now
I am a lake' the
narrator wants to show that

i.
the poem is not only about external beauty but also the inside of a
person

ii.
the lake can also reflect surfaces

iii.
the depth of the lake is important

iv.
the lake does not show as exact an image as a mirror

Answer:

i. the poem is not
only about external beauty but also the inside of a person

Page No 99:

Question 4-(a):

What is the poetic
device used when the mirror says 'I
swallow'?

Answer:

‘I
swallow’ personifies
the mirror. The mirror seems to say that the image on it is deep
enough to swallow everything, passively. The objectivity of the
mirror is significant.

Page No 99:

Question 4-(b):

How does the mirror
usually pass its time?

Answer:

The mirror meditates
on the wall.

Page No 99:

Question 4-(c):

What disturbs the
mirror's contemplation of the opposite wall?

Answer:

Appearances of faces
and darkness disturb the mirror’s contemplation of the opposite
wall.

Page No 99:

Question 4-(d):

Why does the mirror
appear to be a lake in the second stanza? What aspect of the mirror
do you think is being referred to here?

Answer:

The mirror,
appearing to be a lake, symbolises depths of reality. The aspect of
reflecting back an image objectively, is referred to over here.

Page No 99:

Question 4-(e):

What is the woman
searching for in the depths of the lake?

Answer:

The woman is
searching for her true identity.

Page No 99:

Question 4-(f):

How does the
narrator convey the fact that the woman looking at her reflection in
the lake is deeply distressed?

Answer:

It seems that the
woman in the poem is deeply distressed because when she sees herself
ageing in the mirror, she turns away to find her answers in the
candles and the moon. She has tears in her eyes and her agitated
hands express her distress.

Page No 99:

Question 4-(g):

What makes the woman
start crying?

Answer:

Faithful picture of
the mirror, of her true ageing personality, makes her cry. She cries
because the truth is bitter and too harsh for her to bear.

Page No 99:

Question 4-(h):

What do you think
the 'terrible
fish' in
the last line symbolizes? What is the poetic device used here?

Answer:

The
‘terrible
fish’ symbolises
the bitter truth which puts human beings to a fatal end. The poetic
device used here is a simile.

Page No 100:

Question 5-(b):

In
the second stanza why has the narrator replaced the mirror with a
lake? What is he/she trying to focus on?

Answer:

The
mirror is replaced with a lake to display a deep image of
personality, against the fake, superficial beautification of life.

Page No 100:

Question 5-(a):

List
out the adjectives that have been used to describe the mirror. Add a
few more adjectives to the list.

Answer:

Adjectives
used in the poem to describe the mirror:

Exact,
unmisted, truthful, not cruel, faithful, important

A
few more adjectives for the same are listed below:

Deep,
significant, reality, bitter, fair, honest

Page No 100:

Question 6:

Find
the various instances of personification used in this poem.

Answer:

The
various instances of personification used in the poem are:

Whatever
I see, I swallow immediately;

I
am not cruel, only truthful;

Now,
I am a lake;

The
eye of a little god;

I
am important to her.

Page No 100:

Question 7-(c):

A
woman bends over me,

Searching
my reaches for what she really is.

Then
she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.

Why
does she turn to them in spite of calling them 'liars'?

i.
the reality is too harsh for her to bear

ii.
she is desperately looking for someone to comfort her

iii.
she wants to be told
that
she is still beautiful

iv.
she can hide her signs of graying in their light

Answer:

i.
the reality is too harsh for her to bear

Page No 100:

Question 7-(b):

A
woman bends over me,

Searching
my reaches for what she really is.

Then
she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.

Why
have the candles and the moon been called 'liars'?

i.
because they make people beautiful

ii.
they hide the blemishes of people with their soft light

iii.
they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft
glow

iv.
they can't talk

Answer:

iii.
they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft
glow

Page No 100:

Question 7-(a):

A
woman bends over me,

Searching
my reaches for what she really is.

Then
she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.

What
is the woman bending over?

i.
the mirror

ii.
the lake

iii.
the opposite wall

iv.
the moon and the candles

Answer:

i.
the mirror

Page No 101:

Question 8:

Imagine you are the
mirror. Write a speech that you would like to deliver to the humans
who come to see their reflection in you. You could begin like this….

Good
Morning dear humans.

I
feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to express my
feelings and share my thoughts with you. As you know, all my life is
spent in faithfully reflecting all that comes before my eyes…..

Answer:

Note:
This question is to be answered on the basis of your own
understanding, experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended
that you prepare the solution on your own. However, one sample
solution has been provided for your reference.

Good
Morning dear humans,

I
feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to express my
feelings and share my thoughts with you. As you know, all my life is
spent in reflecting all that comes before my eyes faithfully. I have
been a silent spectator of zillions of lives. My vision is very
objective. I don’t respond to people when they search for
themselves, in me. My passivity usually agitates them. However, I am
glad to be loyal and honest to the onlookers, cruel it might seem. I
don’t have the power to manipulate or distort reality. That is
why images on me are so significant to you.

Page No 101:

Question 9:

Here is another poem
on mirror. The narrator calls the mirror a 'fibber'. How is this poem
different from the poem by Sylvia Plath? Have a class discussion on
the comparison in terms of the theme, the tone and the language used.

Answer:

Note:
This
question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding,
experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare
the solution on your own. However, a few points which can be taken
into account under the discussion have been provided for your
reference.

Theme
of anger and disgust dealt differently in both the poems;

Tone
of frustration;

Accusation
to the wall in the second poem different from silent disgust for the
mirror in Plath’s poem;